Senior center fielder Justin Cureton has the lowest average of any starter at .156. However, he is second on the team with eight walks, a statistic that has helped his on-base percentage reach .372, good for fifth on the team.
"I think I've done well (in the leadoff spot)," Cureton said. "I've been getting on base a lot. I've been hitting the ball well - everybody has. When you hit it, it's right at somebody. It's going to fall eventually. We've just got to keep doing what we're doing."
On March 1 against West Virginia, IU Coach Tracy Smith said the Indianapolis native was robbed in the fourth inning when he smoked a line drive down the third base line. The snag by the Mountaineers' Taylor Munden denied Cureton an extra-base hit.
Smith said Cureton, who led the team with 21 stolen bases last season, is not currently hitting like he'd like to hit.
"He's getting on base with walks," Smith said. "Once the hits come around, he's going to be a tough guy in that leadoff spot. I like the fact that he's concentrating on doing his job. He's just getting on and not being too concerned about his base hits. That stuff will come. It'll come."
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Cureton tweeted this after the game against the Mountaineers.
